The wallet you carry and its condition can reveal your standards in one glance.
In today's world, a wallet has become more of a luxury than a necessity.
Torn up, dirty and battered wallet? He probably doesn’t have any money to even buy a simple yet good looking new one.
Unique design and shiny leather? Definitely has some standards for everything he owns and takes really good care of them.
But as we see endless good brands around us and newer brands on the up and coming, one starts to think, “How do I pick a wallet that is good for me?”.
After 200+ hours spent surveying the market and talking to people, we’ve narrowed down the whole criteria for a good wallet to 5 simple considerations.
What constitutes a good wallet?
1. Better quality leather which enhances the feel of the wallet.
Leather usually has multiple layers. Ideally you want to be looking at “Full Grain Leather” for the best feel.
Genuine Leather is one grade below Full Grain Leather and Faux Leather just doesn’t live up to the feel and longevity of Full Grain Leather.
Be very picky about the leather quality that is used in a wallet and only opt for Full Grain Leather for a wallet with a smooth and soft feel.
2. Your wallet should fit everything you need to carry.
Having a minimalist wallet is nice, but does it really fit in everything you need?
If it doesn’t, it probably isn’t a good idea to go for the wallet.
While the look and feel is an amazing aspect of having a wallet, it should first serve its purpose.
Make a list of everything that you’d like to keep in your wallet and then find a wallet which accommodates all of it.
3. Compatible design with the rest of your equipment.
When you are aiming to have a good look out of a wallet, more often than not, it will come down to how well your wallet fits with your bags, pouches, clothes and travel gear.
Wearing blue jeans, black/brown bag and a black t-shirt? It’s best to go for a Brown Leather Wallet along with it.
Look at your whole outlook and decide the color of the wallet that you think will sit well.
4. A mix of leather and other materials is what works best.
100% Leather doesn’t always work well when it comes to wallets. Sure the main aspect of the wallet should be leather. But there should also be a mix of other materials like Cotton Canvas.
The mix of these materials go a long way in enriching how your wallet looks as well as how it feels.
5. Stitching and button work play the most important role.
This is probably the most important bit when it comes to wallet selection. A chain is as strong as its weakest link. Leather is a long lasting material. What will wear out before the leather is the stitching or the buttons on the wallet. Ensuring good quality stitching and good button work will make sure that the piece you have bought will run for a long time. We will write another article about the different kinds of stitching and button work soon.
When buying online, you’ll probably need to test this out after you get the piece, so make sure the store you’re shopping from has a return policy.
Takeaways
All in all make sure that your wallet has high quality leather. It should also be able to carry everything you need it to and should go with your whole outlook. Search for the extra materials section when buying a wallet and see where they’ve ended up using those materials in the wallet. Lastly, but definitely most importantly, make sure the stitching and button work is good.
That must’ve been a lot to take in.
Don’t want to struggle to find a wallet that meets all these conditions?